Hi Anne!
I live in the southern part of Australia, near Melbourne, and we keep our 24 foot dive boat on a trailer at our house. I know what you mean about people with cameras diving solo, and we accept that is the case and mostly dive with redundant air. We live very close to some very colourful reef dives, and with lots of critters unique to this region, so we are spoiled for diving opportunities. The water here is cool, 70 deg F in summer, and 50 deg F in winter, and we have an amazing diversity. We can dive deep wrecks, sponge gardens miles long, walls, current drifts, bizarre reef formations, and muck dives under piers which provide habitat for lots of weird and wonderful critters. The local dive charter lists well over 100 sites on their itinerary!
We do like to travel, and have been to Dominica to film Sperm Whales, Tonga, to film Humpback Whales, Fiji for sharks and soft corals, Bali for muck diving and Mantas, Chuuk for wrecks, Vanuatu for wrecks and reef, New Zealand for sea caves and reefs, Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) for crabs, Whale sharks, and reefs, plus most of The Australian continent for, well pretty much everything! We are off in 5 weeks to Tubbataha in the Phillipines for big fish and reef diving on a live aboard boat.
I am also wondering about the impacts of transition as I am just starting HRT. I guess I'm going to change shape a bit, and this will need different suits. I am also trying to figure ways to hide my changes, ie, while changing in and out of suits on the boat, and those hot tropical days when you wear as little as you can! Winter will be OK as I'll leave my drysuit on and get changed back on shore.
I'd love to post pics and videos, but they would identify me which I can't afford to do atm.
Bubbles!
Allie